Ah, doubt. The feeling that’s often present, yet we know we have to snuff out because Jesus wants us to walk in complete faith of Him. “Live by faith, not by sight,” He instructs (2 Corinthians 5:7). Yet a relatable quote by Frederick Buechner says, “If you don’t have doubts you’re either kidding yourself or asleep. Doubts are the ants-in-the-pants of faith. They keep it alive and moving.”
Despite our best intentions to faithfully walk a path of obedience, we get distracted by Satan’s conniving ways to place doubt both in our hearts and our minds, interrupting our purest of thoughts and beliefs. We KNOW Jesus WILL answer our prayers because it says so explicitly in Isaiah 49:8. But we mustn’t only parse out the words we crave, leaving the other equally-as-important ones behind. The words “at the right time” prefaced His truth.
So, just because He isn’t answering on our timetable, it doesn’t belittle His goodness or disprove He is able.
Don’t let your lack of sight give any room for doubt. And surely don’t give any fuel to Satan. He will use the opportunity to bring unbelief and untruths to the forefront of your mind.
When we find ourselves modeling the behavior of some of the 11 disciples in Matthew 28, who still doubted Jesus even after spending so much time with Him and bearing witness to His miracles, we need to remove the ants in our pants and walk righteously waiting on His perfect timing.
You must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do.
James 1:6-8, NIV
Jesus replied, “Truly I tell you, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree [make it wither on command], but also you can say to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and it will be done. If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.
Matthew 21:21, NIV
